The votes are in and counted.

Tuesday's municipal elections, marked by a low voter turnout of 23 percent and few contested races, had few surprises.

In Warsaw's three contested races, Charles Smith defeated Joel Curry 171 to 72 for the District 2 council seat; William Rhoades defeated Albert Smith 240 to 50 in District 5; and Joseph Thallemer and Trish Brown outpaced the other four candidates to the at-large council seats by a two-to-one margin. Thallemer received 1,064 votes and Brown received 782.

The other at-large candidate vote totals were: Ronald Dirck, 354; Earl Howard, 295; Pam Cartwright, 294; and Daniel Stevens, 114.

In the uncontested council, mayoral and clerk-treasurer races: Jeff Grose received 371 votes for the District 1 seat, District 3 incumbent Paul Siebenmorgen received 290 votes, District 4 incumbent Jerry Patterson received 209 votes, clerk-treasurer Elaine Call received 1,330 votes and Mayor Ernest Wiggins received 1,389 votes.

Thallemer, who received the most votes of any contested candidate, said at the Justice Building Tuesday night that he was grateful to his supporters and was anxious to get on the council and get to work on the city's business.

"I'd like to thank all my supporters and my campaign staff for all their hard work," Thallemer said. "I've served on the plan commission for five years and I'm excited to get to work with our mayor - Ernie Wiggins."

Thallemer added that while addressing the city's need for a second sewage treatment facility was his top priority, he'd also look at having the city establish a curbside recycling program.

"I really want to talk to Ernie about the curbside recycling program and get into a serious investigation into the cost and to see what the city has already done," he said.

Brown said today that while she enjoyed the campaign, she's relieved it is over and is eager to get to work on the city council.

"I got to meet a lot of people and got to do a lot of things I wouldn't have if I hadn't run," she said. "Between now and January I'll be visiting the various city departments to see what their issues are so I can hit the ground running the first of the year."

County Democratic Chairman Steve Haines said he had high hopes for his party's council candidates and was disheartened by Tuesday's final results.

"I'm disappointed. I don't know what it takes to get the people of Warsaw to start thinking about who they're voting for," he said. "But we'll come back swinging next year. We ran good people with a lot of integrity this year and we'll try to get more to run next year."

In other county municipal races:

• Mentone: Jim Tibbets received 128 voted for clerk-treasurer. Edward Rock received 107 votes for the town council, followed by William Lamar with 91 votes and Michael Diemer with 67 votes.

• In Milford, clerk-treasurer Charlotte Siegfried, who ran unopposed, received 209 votes. incumbent District 1 town councilman Douglas Ruch defeated Jim Brooks, 157 to 70. Democratic challenger John Lehman defeated District 2 incumbent Robert Beer, 125 to 90. District 3 councilman Robert Phillips was unopposed and received 181 votes.

• In Silver Lake, three new people will take seats on the town council in January - representing three political parties.

Republican Donna G. McCune received 51 votes, followed by Democrat Brenda Wadkins with 48 and Libertarian Gale Owens with 47. Incumbents Mabel Enyeart got 41 votes and Wilbur Brake received 39.

Clerk-treasurer Teresa A. Howell, who ran unopposed, received 64 votes.

• In Syracuse, Democrat Elgie Tatman, incumbent clerk-treasurer, defeated Margaret Tallon, 145 to 95.

All three Syracuse town council seats on the ballot were uncontested, with Carol Koble, District 3, receiving 168 votes; Barbara Carwile, District 4, receiving 179; and District 5 incumbent William Hane receiving 172 votes. [[In-content Ad]]